THE "KASHMIR."

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 117, 20 May 1931, Page 17

THE "KASHMIR."

(By Mary Lilian Smee, 27,-Hidings Koad, Remuera; age 17.), Kitty settled herself more comfortably upon a case of macaroni, and taking a big bite from her apple, fixed her grey eyes thoughtfully on the Baggage Man. The Baggage Man had given her the apple—he was one of those persons who always seem to be able to produce apples from their pockets when they are most required. He was leaning against an up-ended trunk, brown arms folded, an amused smile on his boyish face, returning Kitty's gaze with interest. Above them a lantern hanging from the beam swung to Etnd fro with the movement of the ship, casting a yellow nirele of light on a corner of the baggage hold of the E.M.S. Ormond. Huge trunks and cases piled one on top of the other loomed out of the surrounding gloom and cast grotesque shadows on the floor; the air was suffocatingly hot, but it seemed cool to Kitty, who had spent the better part of ~the morning trying to escape from the rays of a tropical sun. ;i >,, "•^ ren 't there ever any shipwrecks in the Red Sea?" Kitty at length inquired, removing her gaze from her companion's face to inspect with curiosity a grub -hole -in her apple. '^ er y few," replied the Baggage Man. There was once a wreck, X remember, ■ >'hich has always been a mystery; in fact, some people refuse to believe that there was a wreck at all." He was lost w thought for a minute, while Kitty continued to munch contentedly, eyeing him solemnly the while. .. J- bad a pal once who was mate on a little steamer which plied between Port udan and a port on the Arabian coast, carrying pilgrims from all parts <»f norhern Africa to visit the sacred cities of and .Medina on the other side of the Red Sea. One day the Kashmir a +v *' re P or t back to Port Sudan, and Dothmg more was heard of her or her several hundred passengers. The whole affair remains a mystery, though it is generally supposed that the Kashmir Uc k some submerged object —wrecka ® 6 , 0r something— and went down with all hands." The Baggage Man's voice ceased, and, except for the steady pulsation of the engines, silence reigned. Having finished the greater part of , er apple, Kitty was carefully examining the core for any of the that 'ght have escaped her eye, and, having ccided that the ragged remains could ( leld 110 more, she clambered down from case of macaroni. "I think it must P® lunch time," she said. "I'd better go, 111 come down and see you again , nwaww. Don't forget you've promised show me how to splice." he Baggage Man stretched ,himself, e inned cheerfully and accompanied his lJ to the foot of the ladder which up to the open hatch. » ■» * * over, Kitty wandered about the t„ e -'V n seai 'ch of a cool spot in which j an al "ter-lurich nap." The had S^ ere deserted, for the mid-day sun r , dtiypn everyone to cooler places to • The planks were burning to the

touch and the pitch between them bubbled in the beat. On an upper deck she found a shady spot underneath a lifeboat and there, lying stretched out, her eyes on the distant horizon that dipped with each roll of the ship, her thoughts returned to the story of the lost Kashmir. Her ieyelids drooped and she fell asleep. When she opened her eyes again she was somewhat surprised to see a small steamer quite near the Ormond. The ship seemed to be stationary, and aboard her little specks could be seen rushing to and fro. Then a strange thing happened; the steamer gave a sudden lurch and rolled over to starboard till she seemed in danger of turning turtle. She righted herself -again, but now she was lower in the water than before. Kitty sat up, bumped her head sharply on the keel of the lifeboat, and lay down again. The little steamer was fast settling down. With a final plunge her bows sank beneath the waves and in a second or two the whole ship had disappeared, leaving the sea as serene as ever. Kitty crawled out from beneath her lifeboat as quickly as possible. A seaman was standing by the rail, erecting an awning, and she ran up to him. "I say," she said, "did you see that ship go down ?" "Yes, I was just watching it," he replied with a grin, "but it wasn't nothing really, missie—only one of them sea mirages—you often see them around these parts. One minute there's a ship afore your eyes, and the next there isn't. Can't explain it myself, though some folks say that when you see one like that it's a sort of picture of something that's happened before." "Oh, I see," said Kitty, greatly relieved, and she returned thoughtfully to her shady corner. As she stretched herself out on the hot deck her mind was occupied with the mirage. Had she just witnessed the fate of the Kashmir? She would never know. "Mustn't forget to tell the Baggage Man to-morrow," she murmured drowsily, as with half-closed eyes she gazed out over mile upon mile of unbroken blue.